Two energy leaders join Tesla exodus

Product director for stationary storage unit, and former SolarCity VP, have both left the company

Tesla’s energy unit has lost two leaders, adding to departures at the electriccar maker while CEO Elon Musk readies a reorganisation of the top management team.

Arch Padmanabhan, the product director for Tesla’s stationary storage unit, and Bob Rudd, a former SolarCity vice president who led North American commercial and utility sales, have both left the company, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they aren’t authorised to speak publicly. Tesla didn’t immediately comment on the departures. Padmanabhan confirmed that he left last month and is working on a new venture, declining to comment beyond that. Rudd couldn’t be reached for comment.

Several of the company’s top leaders have been leaving. Matthew Schwall, Tesla’s primary contact with US regulators, left to join Waymo, the selfdriving-car company started by Google. Jim Keller, head of the driver-assistance system Autopilot, left last month for Intel Corp. Two top financial executives left in March, and sales chief Jon McNeil defected to Lyft in February. Musk told employees in an email on Monday that he’s “flattening” Tesla’s management structure to improve communication. Tesla listed only four executive officers in its recent proxy statement: Musk, Chief Financial Officer Deepak Ahuja, Chief Technology Officer JB Straubel and engineering chief Doug Field, who’s taking a break from the company.

The automaker’s stock fell for a fourth straight day as bad news persisted, including a bearish note from Morgan Stanley about Tesla’s manufacturing struggles. With a drop of 2.7 per cent, Tesla’s losing streak is now the longest since March 20, according to data.

Tesla has used its lithiumion battery technology to position itself as a key player in the emerging energy-storage market that supplements and may ultimately threaten the traditional electric grid.